Tuesday, May 24, 2011

While we enjoy power ballads and disco balls more than anybody, TSA has not conducted pat-downs at any proms. Some are getting the story right, but others are predictably getting it wrong and we wanted to clear things up.

Here's the scoop: A school in Santa Fe that uses contract security (unrelated to TSA) is being sued over how it screened two female students. In a ruling stating that the Santa Fe School System needed to change its screening procedures, a judge initially ordered the school system to provide a “TSA certified” person to “supervise the searches.” While we appreciate the Judge’s confidence in TSA screening procedures, TSA’s transportation security mission does not allow us to provide pat-downs at the prom. The judge later allowed the School System to use state police officers instead.

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

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Reading the article, it sounds like no one who was TSA certified was available... not that the TSA or the school explicitly opted not to use TSA patdowns.

Did the TSA opt out of doing patdowns at the prom?Did the school quietly opt out of the use of TSA-certified persons?Or was there simply not enough time to find enough TSOs to patdown teenagers in formal dress?

"... TSA’s transportation security mission does not allow us to provide pat-downs at the prom."

Bob, please explain then the following TSA news release --

http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/superbowl_xliii.shtm

"In the first ever deployment of behavior detection officers to a super bowl, BDOs worked alongside Tampa Police at the area around Raymond James Stadium Sunday in a strategic partnership to keep fans safe."

Unless Raymond James Stadium magically acquired a set of wheels and became a transportation service, please explain how the "TSA’s transportation security mission" gives the TSA authority to provide security measures at the Super Bowl.

If "TSA Certified" is a internal designation for someone trained to do patdowns, the best thing you can do is issue a statement that no "TSA Certified" employee is allowed to do them outside of their official duties.

The TSA may not be searching prom-goers yet, but give them time. They're no doubt just dying to get their hands (ahem) on everyone everywhere -- after all, Gotta Keep Us Safe! The Terrorists Are Everywhere!

Anyone who thinks these abusive practices are going to be contained at the airport and not migrate to other locations is dreaming.

Now, let's see if this comment gets posted and not censored like the other ones I've left.

There is (no airplane) to protect,it is far outside the bounds of the "TRANSPORTATION SECURITY" administration.The judge is a "FEDERAL" judge they care less about your rights,they only care about "FEDERAL CODE"

Quote-"A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home." James Madison 1789

Instead of responding to silly new stories like this Santa Fe prom incident...why don't you give taxpayers an update on how the promised changes are coming along at the TSA? If you (TSA) actually delivered anything you keep promising you wouldn't need to constantly respond to silly news stories that further erode your already tarnished credibility.

The letter that was publish this morning on the Forbes blog regarding the status of the TSA groping law in Texas tells law-abiding taxpaying Americans all we need to know about the TSA. You are what you are...

Quit wasting our time and tax dollars with these silly posts that does not address any real issues.

This article is misleading. It may have been a non-TSA incident, but the TSA are using this as a lever to make sure THEY conduct the pat-downs, replacing government-sanctioned state police, rather than understanding that they are horrific acts in the first place and the whole practice needs to be stopped. Nice spin you've put on this story, though. It almost sounds like the TSA is innocent.

When the TSA threatened to cancel all flights out of Texas, Texas should have called their bluff. TSA would have been forced to back down and we'd FINALLY have broken the stronghold on this unethical, utterly useless, un-American organization on which we've spent over $50 BILLION dollars of taxpayer money.

When the TSA threatened to cancel all flights out of Texas, Texas should have called their bluff. TSA would have been forced to back down and we'd FINALLY have broken the stronghold on this unethical, utterly useless, un-American organization on which we've spent over $50 BILLION dollars of taxpayer money.

May 26, 2011 12:49 AM"-----------------------Obviously, Texas knew they did not have a legal leg to stand on or they certainly wouldn't have "backed down".

so what percent of the US budget does $50 BILLION (lol) represent over 10 years? better yet how much would it represent of the current budget? how many days would it take to get up to $50 BILLION (lol) in the current war on terror over in the middle east where 1000s of US soliders are losing their lives? lets look at the big picture and realize that the tsa is just a drop of water in the ocean that is the US budget...o and stop with the dramatics

Hmmm, Texas legislators go after TSA officers, who are the worker bees, the lowest in the TSA food chain. Why didn't they go after the boss, TSA administrator John Pistole? Why didn't they go after his boss who's the head of DHS, Janet Napolitano? Why don't they go after Congress? After all, the laws and regulations that agencies use start in Congress.

It's ironic that the pat downs were started about the same time that former TSA administrator Michael Chertoff was promoting full body scanners which are being used at our airports, It's also ironic that Janet Napolitano or John Pistole had no idea that the evasive pat downs that they ordered would increase the profits of a former TSA administrator.

Saul said:Unless Raymond James Stadium magically acquired a set of wheels and became a transportation service, please explain how the "TSA’s transportation security mission" gives the TSA authority to provide security measures at the Super Bowl

TSA would have the authority if the stadium asked. Now if TSA just showed up without being asked, then no, TSA would NOT have the authority. If they are asked, they have the authority, does that not make sense to you?!! Its not really that hard to understand.

Why do we have the TSA involved at all in proms, Train stations, Bus stations, etc.. They are not a police force or have any police powers is my question! unless I missed something and we now have a civilian army that is funded and run by the DOJ and the federal government. I seen some TSA agents at train stations and asked for them to show me their ID and they refused. so they can't be any law enforcement agency cause you are required by law to show ID or proved a business card as well.

The whole thing sounds fishy to me anyways. the terrorist didn't blow a plane up, they hijacked it to start with!